COMMON NAME: Indian Cobra (Spectacled Cobra, Asian cobra or binocellate cobra)
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Naja naja
ANIMAL CLASS: Reptile
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Naja
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body Length: 180-220 cm (6-7.25 ft)
Weight: 2-3 kg (4.5-6.5 lbs) varies
Lifespan in Wild: 20 years
Lifespan in Captivity: 30+ years (record: 32.3 years)
Sexual Maturity: 1 year
HABITAT & DISTRIBUTION
Native Range: Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal)
Habitat Types: Forests, grasslands, rice paddies, urban areas
Climate Preference: Tropical to subtropical
Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
Population Trend: Stable
DIET & BEHAVIOR
Diet Type: Carnivore
Primary Food: Rodents, lizards, frogs, birds, other snakes
Activity Pattern: Diurnal (sometimes active at dusk)
Social Structure: Solitary
Reproduction: Seasonal (April-July breeding)
Incubation Period: 48-69 days
Clutch Size: 10-30 eggs
PET SUITABILITY RATING FOR DAVAO CITY: 1 out of 5
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: ILLEGAL & DEADLY
This is one of the “Big Four” snakes responsible for most snakebite deaths in India.
The venom is a powerful neurotoxin and cardiotoxin that paralyzes muscles and can cause respiratory failure or cardiac arrest within 15 minutes to 2 hours. Envenomation can be lethal without immediate antivenom treatment.
In the Philippines, cobras are absolutely illegal to keep as pets under RA 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation Act).
DENR will not issue permits for venomous snakes to private individuals… only to zoos and research facilities with proper containment. If you’re caught with a cobra in Davao, you’re facing criminal charges, fines, and possible jail time.
Even if it were legal (which it’s not), the care requirements are insane.
You’d need a secure, escape-proof enclosure because one bite could kill you, your family, or your neighbors. The famous “hood” with spectacle markings is a threat display… when you see that, the snake is ready to strike.
Cobras are also used by snake charmers in India (though the practice is declining). The “charmer” plays a pungi and the cobra appears to dance… but it’s actually responding to the movement of the instrument, not the music (snakes are deaf to airborne sounds).
LEGAL STATUS: ILLEGAL in Philippines. CITES Appendix II. Protected under Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
CARE TAGS: Deadly Venom • Illegal • Wild Animal • Escape Artist • Public Safety Threat
TRIVIA:
• Famous hood with “spectacle” marking on back
• Name comes from Sanskrit “naga” meaning snake
• I am terrified of cobras and yet I keep writing about them
• Feeds on rodents, providing natural pest control
• Mythologically revered in Hindu culture
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